Terms of use for the Earth Science Academic Archive

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) considers that long-term, open access to the data that underpin research publications will help to ensure the integrity, transparency and robustness of the research record. Access to these data supports the fundamental scientific requirement of allowing others to confirm or challenge research results. The environmental data produced by the activities funded by the NERC are considered a public good and they will be made openly available for others to use.

Terms and conditions

The Earth Science Academic Archive (ESAA) gives non-exclusive permission to use the information it provides free of charge, for non-commercial private study, research and educational activities, subject to you agreeing to acknowledge the information when reproducing any part of it and to compliance with any other stated terms and conditions of use.

Under standard arrangements, ownership of intellectual property and all intellectual property rights arising from NERC funded research lies with the grant recipient organisation. The copyright of all materials derived from NERC funded research by NERC institutes is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), as the legal entity. When the donor to ESAA is not funded by a NERC institute, the copyright in the work will be externally owned.

IPR means any and all trade-marks, designs, UK or foreign patents, copyright (including copyright in software), confidential information, trade or business names, database rights, know how, software, technology and other intellectual property rights (and any applications for the foregoing) whether registerable or not in any country.

Non-commercial use means any use that is not commercial. Commercial usage of the information is not permitted under these terms of use. Commercial usage of the information is permitted only subject to separate arrangements being agreed in writing with the NERC ESAA.

Commercial use means any internal use by any person or organisation where such a person/ organisation receives any direct monetary consideration by offering a service and/or product containing the information or subsequently derived material. Commercial use further includes any indirect monetary advantage or benefit received by any person or organisation through the use of the information.

Important points to note

Your use of any materials supplied by the Earth Science Academic Archive is at your own risk. Neither the Earth Science Academic Archive or NERC gives any warranty, condition or representation as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the information or its suitability for any use or purpose. All implied conditions relating to the quality or suitability of the information, and all liabilities arising from the supply of the information (including any liability arising in negligence) are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The following acknowledgement must accompany the reproduced information:

'Reproduced with the permission of the Natural Environment Research Council and << the supplier of the data>>. All rights Reserved'

Where the information is used as the basis of specifically generated figures, sketches, illustrations, diagrams, map extracts or cross-sections, the source of the material should be cited as follows:

'Based upon material supplied to the Earth Science Academic Archive (ESAA), with the permission of NERC and << the supplier of the data>>.

Please read any warnings given about the limitations of the information.

NERC gives no warranty as to the quality or accuracy of the information or the medium on which it is provided or its suitability for any use. All implied conditions relating to the quality or suitability of the information and the medium, and all liabilities arising from the supply or use of the information and for any reliance on results arising out of use of the information (including any liability arising in negligence) are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

NERC accepts no liability for any loss or damage which may be caused by the information or the medium on which it is provided, and you are expected to operate suitable anti-virus software before accessing it on your computer system. You are responsible for ensuring that the form of the information is compatible with your computer system and/or with any other data with which the information is to be used.

NERC gives no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of information in the form in which it is cached or downloaded to your computer, as they may be affected by on-line conditions over which NERC has no control, nor any warranty with regard to the continued provision of the information.